Ladies! I think a Friday afternoon deserves a celebration. We’ve almost made it through the entire work week! Woo hoo! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This is always the hardest part of the giveaway because we’d love to gift all 3,911 of you, but alas, we cannot, which I guess is what makes a giveaway so fun. With that said, join me in celebrating our SIX beloved winners for this fabulous giveaway. Believe me when I say we here at the office are coveting each of the gifts and almost threw a fit when we realized we couldn’t enter the giveaway ourselves. We love fun stuff like this just as much as you do!
So, without further ado, congratulations to…
Grand Prize Winner: Cara Koski
Second Prize Winner: Ansley DuRant
Gift number 3: Victoria Gelberg
Gift number 4: Kim Tipton
Gift number 5: Anne Dailey
Gift number 6: Leslie Wood
If y’all would please email me (Lindsee) at [email protected] with your mailing address we willl get these prizes to you ASAP. We love y’all so very, very much. Thanks for playing along. Hope you each have a beautiful, fall weekend!
DEAR SIESTAS! THE MERE THOUGHT OF YOU IS MAKING ME GO ALL-CAPSY.
It has been FOREVER and then some but I have been thinking about you. I know I haven’t been in this here blog-space much recently but I can assure you that I’m still at LPM. My days are full since I’m working and going to school part-time. AGAIN. Yes, again. Somehow even when I vow to walk away for good, I end up right back in the classroom in some capacity. This time around I’m working slowly on a M.A. in Biblical Languages at Houston Baptist University. When I’m not researching something for a project at LPM, I’m taking a Greek class in the Septuagint and a Hebrew readings class in the Joseph narrative. Oh, and how could I forget to mention Winston Jeffrey Fitzpatrick?! A little over a year ago Colin brought home a baby rottweiler and our life has never been the same since (even when I desperately want it to be!). Winnie is SO, SO bad but we love him madly.
Here is W posing in my dining room. Or demanding a filet mignon cooked over medium, I’m not really sure.
Here he is again furious about having to wear his birthday hat:
But really, enough about us.
I want to talk about YOU and a fall giveaway we are doing because we love you and appreciate you.
Now, I should mention at this point that if you are one of those people who is SO OVER all the talk about pumpkin-flavored anything, then you will want to run for your life.
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.
Do I have a faithful fall remnant?
This weekend we had our first legit “cold-front” here in Houston. It was even down in the forties one night. Glory be! The crisp cold air in my lungs got to me in the best way possible and, of all things, I wanted to cook. There’s just something about fall that always brings me back to the kitchen. Nothing better than listening to a little Norah Jones or The Civil Wars with the windows cracked open, cool breeze dancing through the house, while a chili or stew simmers on the stove. I thought just maybe fall might do the same for some of you so the grand prize winner will get a red Le Creuset signature round dutch oven (red not orange like the one on the box).
I love it passionately and do not want to let it go. I even enjoy posing with the beloved dutch oven:
The second prize to be claimed is a $100 gift card to Pottery Barn because, let’s be honest, Pottery Barn during the fall season is heaven on earth:
Gift number 3 includes an amazing decorative pillow, fall flower arrangement, and Hill Country Home candle.
Gift number 4 includes a fun little clutch from Anthro, a scarf, several pairs of boot socks, and some gorgeous MAC makeup in fallish colors.
Here is Lindsee modeling the scarf. Love her and she can work a scarf better than anyone I know:
This MAC stuff is tough to photograph but fantastic (includes three eye shadow kits and two lipsticks in shades of Russian Red and Viva Glam III).
Gift number 5 has a bunch of fun stuff: Cook’s Illustrated Fall Entertaining magazine, kitchen towels, mulling spices, Hill Country Home candle (again this is one of my faves!), autumn cupcake decorating set, beautiful engraved silver dish, Trader Joe’s Pumpkin bread mix, and more.
Gift number 6 comes with a fun autumn welcome mat, potpourri, decorative kitchen towel, and my favorite ever mulled apple cider candle. DIVINE.
Here is Mom sorting out all the gifts. Isn’t she cute?
So dear friend, for a chance to win one of the six prizes, please leave a comment with your first and last name and tell us something you love about fall.
We love you so much,
Melissa
(Lindsee not pictured here ONLY because she was out of the office when we snapped this photo)
A few of my favorite things: breaking out Fall boots, the changing (beautiful!) colors, and pumpkin spice lattes! 🙂
Julie Baxter – My favorite thing about fall is getting to wear jackets and sweats again. Love it when it cools off here in North Texas!
My favorite thing about fall is college football in a college town!
Angie Gilbreath
Absolutely fabulous! I love fall mostly because of the cooler weather after the suffocating heat and humidity of Alabama, but also love love the beauty of the bright oranges and yellows and reds. I get such a thrill driving my car through (or walking through) falling bright yellow or orange leaves being blown by the wind.
Love and blessings to you all!
I love the crisp fall air! Natalie McGary
My favorite part of fall is the beauty and warmth of the fall colors! Oh, and sweatpants and sweatshirts again. Ahhhh, comfort. 🙂
You are going to laugh cause my response is not like everyone else’s. Fall is actually not my favorite time of year, it’s Spring because Spring for me signifies new life with flowers blooming everywhere. I am originally from Upstate New York and the winters are very cold and barren. So I moved to Florida. Here there is perpetual summer, however, within a year you start to see subtle changes in the season. We the weather gets cooler here, I am talking about anything below 75 degrees, I pull out my boots and sweaters. Then my northern upbringing necessitates that I must start baking. It is a part of me that others in Florida don’t understand but they enjoy the benefits. It’s the old ” you can take the girl out of the small town, but you can’t take the small town out of the girl”. Any way, somehow in the Fall I make a difference without knowing that I am trying.
I love the beautiful fall colors as the leaves change, and hot dogs and smores around the firepit with family and friends!
Fall to me is a new start. School starts again. My Bible study buddies get together for a new season of adventures with God. Anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas fill the air and the heart. Fall is warmth, joy and love!
Ashley Gauthier: Cooler weather, sweaters, and fall decorations!
Fall reminds me of family because the holidays are approaching. Not “busy-ness” but preciousness especially this year. The first year without my beloved grandmother to gather around over brunch on Christmas morning. It makes it even more important to stay away from “busy-ness” and rest in the calm of the falll.
Here in Florida the seasons don’t make grand entrances. But on occasion its fun to wear clothes I haven’t seen in awhile. Also it means that its time for Operation Christmas Child. I love it because it brings a smile to my children’s face to do something for someone else!!!
Kati Wharton
I love crisp, cool fall days with bright blue cloudless skies. And I love fall colors, so I have bunches of fall themed decorations around my house. I love fall so much I couldn’t stop at just one thing! 🙂
Cozy, warm sweaters!
Linda Peel
Lexington, KY
I love fall so much that I got married 11/17/1979 and had fall flowers on top of the wedding cake and burnt orange bridesmaid dresses. Celebrating 33 years in a few weeks 🙂
My favorite thing about fall is getting to wear wonderful sweaters and boots:)
My favorite thing(S) about Fall: the smell of homemade chili cooking, brown boots, warm cinnamon soy lattes, Friday night football games at the local high school, fuzzy socks, pumpkin ANYTHING, and Thanksgiving – a wonderful holiday 🙂
Loving the fall colors you girls are wearing. Beth always dresses so adorable. Where in the world do you girls shop????? 😉
I loved skimming through the comments already left! It reminded me of some of the places I have been and how glorious fall is there! I was an army brat and seem to have continued the life style as an adult! I think that Tennessee is my favorite place to be in fall. All the colors seem to surround you from every angle and the slight cool feeling.
Currently I am in Montana and I can definitely say fall is different here! In fact I don’t really believe we have a fall at all. The weather just sort of turns suddenly from summer to winter and you find yourself sucked into the cold and snow without any of the gentle preparation fall should bring. That’s okay though! I get to cozy up on the couch with my fireplace going a little sooner than everyone else! And my coffee has never tasted better! And I’m not shoveling my sidewalk EVERY day yet so life is good! PTL!
Sarah Greenberg
Fall IS my favorite time of the year. Probably because, finally, we leave the extremely hot weather behind and we can go out and enjoy the outdoors again. I love the colors and, of course, the yummy foods we can cook – pumpkin pies, turkey….
I love the whole season of Fall–mostly the crisp, bright colors and the change of weather. I don’t know if it’s the season of my life or what, but I definitely noted the beauty of fall more than ever this year!
I find beauty in every season, but fall is the one that literally takes my breathe at times. I especially love the sights that you come upon unexpectedly when driving on a country road!
Hi Beth & Melissa, what wonderful gifts in the giveaway today. Love it all. Lord bless you all at LPM
Alta
Tanya Applegate – I love breaking out the sweaters, fall leaves and hot soups/chili.
Maria Gutierrez-‘one’ of my favorite things about fall is RED TREES. They are beautiful!!!!!! (I’m so excited that you all have so many gifts to give away. So fun.)
Cold fronts! (Louisiana girl here) As my friend says, we don’t have seasons, we have fronts.
Growing up in Houston, TX, we didn’t see the kind of beauty an east coast Fall season provides. Now, however, after five years of northeastern living, I can see as much autumn color and beauty as my heart desires. I can simply look out my kitchen window, see deer grazing in my yard, and stare in complete amazement at how our Lord decorates the trees with various reds, oranges, yellows, and brown hues. When a large pile of these gorgeous leaves was raked, just two weeks ago, I fell in, with my 4-year-old, and giggled in a way that I know I will remember for years and years to come. While I may have dived into a small mound of leaves in Houston, as a kid, it no way holds a comparison to what my son gets to experience here. Now I know we won’t be here forever, on planet earth, and that these human experiences don’t hold a candle to the kind of joy our Father will show us in His kingdom to come, but I am blessed to be able to experience just a hint of His splendor, in the way He offers us this magnificent season.
Thank you for all the pics!!!
My favorite is.. the leaf piles you can jump in and throw @ others :o)
I love being able to wear all the cute fall clothes. Being able to snuggle up by a fire.
I absolutely love fall! I find it crazy that God placed this mountain loving girl who prays for snow (passionately) every year, right on the Gulf Coast amidst tropical climates for about 8-9 months of the year. So, you can imagine how excited I get when that crisp, cool air comes blowing in & the sweaters come out! Sitting around the backyard fire pit with my family, cuddled up in flannel blankets while sipping apple cider or hot chocolate, and playing a hilarious yet arousing game of ‘Who Am I?’. This time of year is the most special to me for many reasons, and I can’t help but smile at the thought or smell of it! 🙂
You guys are amazing! 🙂 I LOVE fall because of all of the beauty that goes with it….and it is a GREAT time for chili and homemade chicken and noodles and pumpkin bread with cream cheese icing! 🙂
The beauty of the leaves on the trees reminds
Me of God. I’m not a fan of cold weather but
The leaves and knowing each season has a cycle
Keeps me going
I LOVE all things fall! Pumpkin Spice Lattes are one of my favorites!
What DON’T I love about fall?! I love everything about it. Except for the fall allergies that plague me every year. But I will live through them just to get to enjoy fall.
I think what I love about fall as I do about all seasons is that it is the start of something new :)! This particular year has been so sweet because we have had so many “new starts” with our girls – one in college at Appalachian and the other I’m homeschooling (which by the way is a good example of never declaring that you will NEVER homeschool. God works things in miraculous ways doesn’t HE :)!
Fall beauty completely knocks me off my feet every day. Every single time I walk outside my first thought is “wow God, you outdo yourself with this season.” The beauty of fall is surpassed ONLY by the brilliance of its Creator. Man It’s gorgeous.
Lindsey Thomas
My favorite things about fall are my bright orange peacoat, a cup of hot cider, and walking through the leaves that fall on the sidewalk around Carson-Newman’s campus!
I love EVERYTHING about Autumn, especially November. It’s my birthday month, so it’s always been near and dear to me. I participate in NanoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month, and spend most of November hunkered down by my warm fire with a cup of hot cider, pouring my heart into my keyboard.
It’s so much fun!
November, to me, almost represents warmth and coziness. Snuggling down with those that you love and pulling a big blanket over yourselves. You enjoy family stories and past life.
From hayrides to long walks in the woods, catching all the wonderful ways God shows off His painter’s brush, it’s my favorite season!
Thank y’all for running this blog.
Melissa Douthart
Fall in the ozarks – need I say more. Color everywhere.
Oh pick me! I need that RED DUTCH OVEN!! I’ve been “shopping” for Red and yes that particular one! It’s been a hard year….I need that. Ghee does that sound like I’m begging or what….
The brisk air and starting to wear sweaters!!!
Carol Kaplan
Since my first and last name is above, I’ll dive right into autumn: I love the trees most of all, and waking up to sparkling sunshine because of heavy rain the night before. I love the smell…it’s clean and lovely. If there was a candle of that smell, I’d burn it all year.
My favorite thing about fall is…..sweaters & boots!!!
Living in Texas we really do not experience alot of “Fall” but I do love when the trees change, they are so pretty and we finally have cooler nights and I can sit outside and listen to the wind blow the leaves, it makes me think of God.
Oh, I got so excited I forgot my favorite thing about fall. Well, in Indiana it’s the harvest of fields and how they look golden in the evenings against the blue sky. Radiant colors of the trees is a extra bonus of beauty…love God’s art work…smile
Alta
Sue Meyering — What I love about fall? Crunchy colorful leaves, wood fires and yes, pumpkins. Mine has metal turkey parts stuck into it so it will keep on the front porch until Thanksgiving. 🙂 The grandbabies love it!
My favorite thing about Fall is the cool crisp weather and the smells of cinnamon and apples.
The reason I love fall is because it reminds me of my son. He loved the fall so very much. The cooler it got the happier he got, he loved to be outside but never more than when it was cold. He loved all things fall, football, the food, the hunting, the holidays, everything it seemed. I miss him so. This is my second fall without him and I surely pray that God has a fall in heaven just for him.
Thank you for this ministry. I first heard Beth at Falls Creek in Davis, Oklahoma, the day after the Murrah Building bombing in 1995 and I have never stopped. It has been God’s gift to me. All those studies with God’s great love and mercy enabled me to survive the loss of my son. Thank you.
I love leaves, fireplaces, cool breezes, football games,hot tamales and chili,Hazelnut candles,gloves, boots,holding hands with my honey without breaking out in a hot flash,and calling my Grandchildren to come jump in the leaves with me since it looks odd for a 58 year old to do that by herself!
I love the crisp reminder every fall that sometimes things change for your to appriciate their beauty. The leaves in the trees, the coolness of the morning air, the daylight hours. It all changes.
I love all the various colors of trees and bushes that seem to blend together to showcase the beauty of God’s creation.